"Everyone!" Rock's voice burned with energy. "Are you enjoying yourselves so far?"
The crowd responded with refined applause, a wave of dignified clapping sweeping through the stands. Murmurs of approval followed—some nodding, others raising glasses in silent acknowledgment.
Rock's voice echoed through the forest, calm but commanding.
"So, we've got one more hour before the second round ends—and only fifteen flags left? Let's see if the remaining students can claim them."
The cheers in the distance faded beneath the rustling leaves and the heavy breathing of two figures locked in the most pitiful standoff in the forest.
Ito and Kajin crouched low, both gripping the same flag with just two fingers each. Arms trembling. Sweat dripping. Their faces mere inches apart.
"Don't tell me you're getting tired already, brother," Kajin muttered between gasps. "We've only been holding this thing for fifteen minutes."
Ito squinted at him, just as breathless."Your fingers are shaking like they're writing their will. Just let go already—I'll take it from here."
"This is going nowhere. What should we do?" Zayden muttered, watching the standoff with a deadpan look.
"I have an idea for that," Gakurei chimed in, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"That's enough for today, idiots!" Gakurei's voice rang out, loud and sharp.
"Who are you calling an idiot?!" both Ito and Kajin snapped in perfect unison.
"Did you two forget how much time we have left in this round? I've got an idea—this way, one of you can take the flag without wasting more time," Gakurei said.
"Really? Then tell us what it is," Ito said, narrowing his eyes.
"Then say it after me. Whoever repeats it correctly gets the flag," Gakurei smirked.He cleared his throat.
"Ten tiny twigs twisted tightly together toward the tall timber trees."
Kajin smirked. "That's so easy."
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words tangled in his throat. After several attempts, he ended up choking on his own tongue.
"T-t-t—"He sighed, rubbing his neck in frustration.
"Huh, what happened, big brother?" Ito smirked. "Can't you do this much? Watch and see."
He took a deep breath, brimming with confidence—But the moment he spoke, his tongue betrayed him.
"T-t-t—"He frowned, then let out a defeated sigh.
One after another, they kept trying.
Kajin fumbled first, his tongue tripping before he even reached the middle."Ten tiny twigs twist—twis—twi... agh!"He clenched his fists, growling in frustration.
Ito followed, puffing his chest."Ten tiny twigs twis—tw... twuh..."His voice cracked."What even is this sentence?!"
Again and again, they tried—Mumbling, stuttering, even inventing new phrases by accident.
The air was filled with garbled syllables and rising irritation.
Eventually, both gave up.
With synchronized groans, they collapsed onto the grass like defeated warriors, limbs sprawled, eyes hollow.The forest rustled quietly… as if mocking them.
They didn't say a word.They just sat there, breathing hard, glaring at the sky.
"It wasn't even that hard… You two are just making a disaster out of it," Gakurei muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "At this point, I don't think there's any saving you. May the gods forgive you—for whatever language that was supposed to be."
"Gakurei… now you're the one making a disaster out of it," Zayden cut in loudly, like a fed-up teacher scolding a class clown."They don't have to ask God for forgiveness over something this small!"
"Don't you have any other idea?" Ito groaned, still catching his breath.
Kajin suddenly raised his hand dramatically—Tree leaves lifted lightly into the air around him.
"Brother, I've got a good way to settle this," he said with a sly grin.
Ito narrowed his eyes."Really? Then tell me."
Kajin leaned closer, his tone serious."Well… just so you know, it's dangerous. You'll need to steel your resolve."
Ito's throat tightened—But he nodded, gaze steady."Fine. Whatever it is… I'm ready."
"Huh?" Gakurei blinked, the imaginary sound of thunder cracking behind him."Don't tell me, Kajin… you're talking about that."
"Yeah," Kajin said coolly, eyes narrowing like the protagonist of a low-budget action film.
Zayden took a cautious step back."Why do I suddenly feel like this is how horror stories start…?"
Meanwhile, that loud crash of a falling tree echoed through the forest, catching the attention of a group of nearby students. Alarmed, they rushed to report it to the knights stationed in the area.
Minutes later, a few knights arrived at the scene—only to find three students lying unconscious beneath the scattered leaves and snapped branches.
"Take these students now and give them medical aid," Squad Captain Walter ordered, his voice firm as he surveyed the scene. "Now, let's see who did this."
He glanced around, eyes narrowing as he scanned for any signs of what had caused the commotion.
A knight approached, holding something in his gloved hand. "Captain, we found this long hair on the cut tree," he said, showing a strand of dark, tangled hair.
"A long hair, huh? It could be a girl," Walter muttered, glancing at the strand thoughtfully. "Just keep searching. We need to find the culprit and disqualify them—no exceptions."
He turned, his gaze sharpening as he directed the knights to continue their search.
—
On the side, Ito was running desperately through the forest, eyes scanning every corner as if searching for something precious. Not too far behind, Gakurei trailed him silently, hands in his pockets, watching with a mix of curiosity and concern.
Ito whispered under his breath, "Oh no… I haven't found a single one yet. Time's running out… at this rate, he'll get ahead of me."
His pace quickened, footsteps crunching against the forest floor as urgency built in his chest.
As Ito ran desperately through the trees, something suddenly darted in from his right. Before he could react
Wham!
They both crashed to the ground in a heap.
"What was that?!" Ito groaned, trying to sit up with leaves stuck in his hair.
Ito's eyes widened as he looked up—his gaze landing on a girl with short, silky, rose-colored hair that shimmered in the sunlight. She had a slender, graceful figure, and her skirt clung just enough to highlight her toned curves. Her long, sharp ears—just like those of an elf—twitched slightly, giving her an elegant, otherworldly charm. The academy uniform hugged her form perfectly, with just enough of her thigh showing to make Ito's breath hitch.
"Wow... I'm seeing an elf for the first time in this world," Ito whispered, eyes sparkling.
Suddenly, his expression changed to shock. "I can see it... she's wearing pink..."
With graceful elegance, she brushed the dust from her clothes with a soft, practiced motion. Her voice, calm and smooth, followed. "Sorry for bumping into you."
"No, I'm sorry too," Ito blurted, still in a daze.
Before he could say anything more, she was already gone, sprinting off with remarkable speed, disappearing into the trees without a second glance.
"She's gone…" Ito murmured, staring after her for a moment. "But thanks to her, I've seen one at least. Now, I just have to keep going like this."
The moment he lifted his foot, a small smile played on his face, and a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Ito, what are you doing?" came Sara's voice from behind.
"Oh, Sara, Shion—good timing," Ito said plainly, turning toward them.
He casually placed a hand on Sara's shoulder, locking eyes with her, his expression focused.
Eriska leaned closer to Shion, lowering her voice to a whisper near his ear.
"Who is that boy?" she asked, eyes fixed on Ito with quiet curiosity.
"Oh, he's our friend—and his name is Ito," Shion replied casually, glancing at her with a small smile.
Ito suddenly shut his eyes tight and raised his voice a bit too much.
"I know it's kind of embarrassing, Sara, but can you... Can you tell me your panties' color?!"
Out of the peaceful forest, their reaction exploded like thunder.
"HUH?!"
Sara, Shion, and Eriska's voices echoed across the trees, loud enough to frighten nearby birds into flight.